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Tetrachalkon - Mithridates VI
| Issuer | Amisos |
|---|---|
| Year | 120 BC - 63 BC |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Reverse description | Standing figure of Nike advancing to the left, holding a wreath in her extended right hand and a palm frond over her left shoulder, rendered in a flowing Hellenistic style. The Greek ethnic legend AMI-ΣOY is divided across the field to either side of the figure, reading 'of Amisos'. The design is set on a plain, unbordered field typical of Pontic civic bronze coinage. The reverse surface carries a green patina consistent with prolonged burial. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Amisos enjoyed a period of genuine civic autonomy under Mithridates VI, who refounded the city as Pontic royal territory while allowing it to continue issuing bronze coinage in its own name — an arrangement that reflected his broader policy of cultivating Greek cities along the Black Sea coast rather than simply absorbing them. The city had been colonized by Miletus, then Athens, and its mint had a long independent history before coming under Pontic control around 120 BC.
The series to which this piece belongs ran the full span of Mithridates' reign, ending only with his defeat by Pompey and the Roman reorganization of Pontus in 63 BC.